- Annual Fundraiser: Momentum, If You’ll Help Maintain It
HUGE THANKS to subscribing contributor MB and supporters JM and RW! They weighed in yesterday with a whopping $470, bringing our annual fundraiser total (as of 5am) to $755.50!
Caveat: I’m awaiting final confirmation from the donor on $100 which may require a refund due to error, but either way a REALLY great day for the fundraiser and we’re either just past or quickly approaching the 25% mark toward our goal of $5,503 (once we’ve raised $2,751.50, supporter GL will “match funds” for the other half)!
In other words, we need to raise somewhere around $2,000 more … and once we’ve hit our goal, you won’t hear from me about money at all for the rest of the year, or very much until NEXT October. So …
PLEASE SUPPORT THE FREEDOM MOVEMENT’S DAILY NEWSPAPER!
… and have a great day!
Yours in liberty,
Tom Knapp
Publisher
Rational Review News Digest / Freedom News Daily - Ukraine: Russian strikes leave 600,000 without power, Zelenskyy says
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“At least 600,000 people across Ukraine are now without electricity after deadly overnight Russian missile and drone strikes, President Volodymyr Zelensky has said. He said ‘critical’ energy infrastructure had been hit in Kyiv and the capital region and also in the north-eastern city of Kharkiv – despite a claim by US President Donald Trump on Sunday that an ‘energy ceasefire’ was in place between Russia and Ukraine. In Kyiv, at least three people were killed and 21 injured, Ukraine’s state emergencies service DSNS said. Russia’s defence ministry said its ‘massive’ strikes overnight had targeted communications and energy facilities in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions used by Ukraine’s military.” (10/14/26)
- Federal judge issues longer-term decision blocking Trump’s White House media ban
Source: NBC News
“A federal judge issued an order late Tuesday blocking the Trump administration from banning CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House complex while the organizations’ lawsuit over access proceeds. U.S. District Judge Timothy Kelly of Washington, D.C., issued the preliminary injunction in the wake of a hearing Thursday at which the administration contended it imposed the ban in part because of national security concerns; media organizations said it was because of ‘viewpoint discrimination.’ Kelly sided with the news outlets, noting that Trump used national security as a reason for the ban after their press passes had already been revoked and ruling that it also likely violated reporters’ freedom of speech and due process rights.” (10/14/26)
- Yemen: Saudi forces struck oil facilities west of capital, Houthi-run broadcaster says
Source: SFGate
“A coalition of forces in Yemen led by Saudi Arabia carried out new airstrikes Tuesday on the Houthi rebel[sic]-held Yemeni capital of Sanaa, the Houthi-run broadcaster Al Masirah and residents said. The strikes marked a fresh escalation in the widening Middle East crisis and came shortly after a coalition spokesman urged residents to evacuate the area for their safety. Witnesses reported hearing strong explosions in Sanaa hours after the coalition struck the al-Suhaba fuel facility west of the city. In a rare statement earlier, the coalition had urged civilians in the Houthi-controlled capital to leave the Yemeni Oil Company site, on a hill overlooking the capital, and nearby storage areas ahead of a possible strike. Houthi officials appeared to have anticipated the attack there. The oil company said its storage facilities were empty and that a Saudi strike would not affect oil reserves or supplies for residents.” (10/13/26)
- Guilfoyle resigns
Source: Associated Press
“President Donald Trump’s ambassador to Greece, Kimberly Guilfoyle, resigned on Tuesday after allegations of improper conduct but insisted she’ll ‘vigorously defend’ herself. Trump’s administration said earlier Tuesday it had asked Guilfoyle to leave her post after she faced severe criticism over allegations she engaged in improper and possibly illegal conduct before and during her tenure in Athens. … In a series of stories dating to late last month, The Wall Street Journal has reported questionable conduct by Guilfoyle, including an alleged threat to a host country official, accepting improper gifts and services and offering to use her influence inside the Republican administration in return for the payment of a large credit card bill.” (10/13/26)
https://apnews.com/article/trump-ambassador-greece-guilfoyle-9da9d2e50e18bccc38946404c1ca756f
- Argentina: Regime asks international tribunal to halt Falklands oil project
Source: United Press International
“Argentina asked the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea on Tuesday to order Britain to halt the Sea Lion oil project near the Falkland Islands, two weeks after President Javier Milei’s government gave London a deadline to stop the activities. The project, led by Britain’s Rockhopper Exploration and Israel’s Navitas Petroleum, is located in the North Falkland Basin. Argentina claims rights to the area’s natural resources as part of its longstanding sovereignty dispute with Britain over the islands, which are administered by Britain and known in Argentina as the Malvinas.” (10/13/26)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/10/13/latam-argentina-falklands-oil/1621791906387/
- French pirates board ship in Indian Ocean
Source: Le Monde [France]
“The French navy boarded a vessel suspected of illegally smuggling oil in an operation off the Indian Ocean island of La Réunion, President Emmanuel Macron said Monday, October 12. Macron vowed no let-up in the struggle against the ‘shadow fleet’ – a term used for the clandestine network of ships used by Russia to circumvent Western embargoes since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine. … The DF Peak flies a Benin flag and is among the 700 ships on the EU’s sanctions list. Prior to 2024, it was called Kaliningrad. New measures permit European Union members to sell the oil or any other cargo seized from the ships. Moscow has bristled at the moves, with Russian President Vladimir Putin [noticing that it is] ‘piracy and banditry.'” (10/13/26)
- SCOTUS to decide whether DOGE records can remain secret
Source: Politico
“The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether a watchdog group seeking information about President Donald Trump’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency is entitled to records showing how much control the budget-slashing endeavor wielded over federal agencies. The justices on Tuesday granted the Trump administration’s request to review lower-court rulings concluding that Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington can force DOGE to turn over records shedding light on its interactions with agencies across the government. The Trump administration maintains that DOGE made no decisions about cuts to programs or firing personnel at federal agencies and simply offered recommendations to agency leaders. But critics have alleged that DOGE personnel were, at least in some instances, dictating agency actions.” (10/13/26)
https://www.politico.com/news/2026/10/13/DOGE-supreme-court-case
- Sweden: Centre-left leader fails in second bid to form regime
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“The leader of Sweden’s left-wing Social Democratic Party, Magdalena Andersson, has said her efforts to form a government have failed, prolonging a political deadlock a month after parliamentary elections. Speaking at a news conference Tuesday, Andersson said talks with the three other parties in the country’s left-wing bloc had hit an impasse. Despite progress, she said she did not believe conditions were in place to ‘form a government that can be tolerated by parliament’. It is her second time failing to form a government after Sweden’s parliamentary vote on September 13. … The speaker of parliament has four attempts at proposing a prime minister for parliament to vote on. If the fourth attempt fails, a snap election must be called.” (10/13/26)
- China: Court sentences three people to death for running brutal scam centers in Myanmar
Source: CBS News
“A Chinese court sentenced three members of a criminal gang to death on Tuesday for operating a network of brutal scam centers in Myanmar’s Kokang region on the border with China, while jailing dozens more. … Quanzhou Intermediate People’s Court said in a statement on Tuesday that it had sentenced Wei Huairen, Chen Dawei, and Liao Jingfang to death for their involvement in the ‘Wei family criminal gang.’ The gang was involved in crimes including drug trafficking, organizing prostitution, operating illegal casinos, telecommunications fraud, and the murder of at least two Chinese citizens, the court said. … Another three gang members were handed life sentences, while 55 more were given prison terms ranging from 24 years to three years and three months, the court said.” (10/13/260
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/death-sentences-scam-centers-myanmar/
- Trump flies to Alaska in last-ditch attempt to save US Senate seat for GOP
Source: Newport News Daily Press
“It’s a long way from Washington, has a small population and hasn’t backed a Democrat for Senate in nearly 20 years. Yet President Donald Trump on Tuesday will devote a big chunk of his dwindling time ahead of crucial midterm elections to head all the way to Alaska — attempting to bolster a Republican incumbent senator in another sign of GOP fears about retaining control of Congress after Election Day on Nov. 3. Trump is headlining a rally for Sen. Dan Sullivan in Wasilla, about 45 miles (72 kilometers) north of Anchorage — famous for being the hometown of former Republican vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin and the headquarters of the Iditarod sled dog race across the state. … Seeking his third Senate term, Sullivan faces Democrat Mary Peltola, a former congresswoman running to put ‘Alaska First,’ emphasizing cost-of-living issues.” (10/13/26)
- Cornell suspends fraternity parties, gives state police role in investigating campus assault reports
Source: SFGate
“Cornell University is suspending parties and other social events at fraternity houses for the rest of the academic year and will give the New York State Police a role in investigating sex crimes on campus, university officials announced Tuesday, amid mounting outrage over its handling of allegations that a female student was sexually assaulted at a fraternity house in 2024. The measures announced by Cornell President Michael Kotlikoff include a suspension of all parties and social events at Interfraternity Council houses through the end of the 2026-27 academic year and a new ‘zero tolerance’ policy for violations that would result in the immediate emergency suspension of a chapter.” [editor’s note: The majority of Cornell frat houses are privately owned and not on university property — but the school administration has waved a magic wand and declared them to be “campus housing” – TLK] (10/13/26)
https://www.sfgate.com/news/article/cornell-suspends-fraternity-parties-rest-academic-22475327.php
- Report: Paxton attended 2025 Dubai New Year’s party with US fugitives
Source: Washington Examiner
“Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton attended a 2025 New Year’s party in Dubai with two fugitives who did not return to the United States, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal. The revelation comes as the Trump-backed Republican challenges Texas Democrat James Talarico in the final weeks of the Senate race. Paxton was seen in a short video celebrating the start of New Year’s Day atop a high-rise building with Anosh Ahmed and Sameer Suhail, two U.S. citizens who had been indicted on federal charges related to healthcare fraud in 2024. The two men were accused of embezzling more than $15 million in funds from a Chicago hospital into bank accounts they owned, the Department of Justice said in July 2024. Ahmed, a former healthcare executive, had donated $190,000 to Paxton, according to campaign finance records reported by the Wall Street Journal.” (10/13/260
- Poland: Regime blames Starlink sabotage on Russian regime
Source: US News & World Report
“Poland is blaming Russia for an arson attack on a Starlink satellite station in September and two Turkish citizens have been arrested in connection with the suspected act of sabotage, authorities said. The suspects, whose names were not released in line with Polish privacy rules, were arrested in Germany, Polish officials said Monday. They are accused of deliberately setting fire to Starlink infrastructure on Sept. 23 in Wola Krobowska, Poland, about 40 kilometers (25 miles) south of Warsaw. ‘We have no doubt that Russian intelligence services are behind this act of sabotage,’ Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister overseeing intelligence services, said in a news release, noting that Russian intelligence services are increasingly turning to people with ties to the criminal underworld.” (10/13/26)
https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2026-10-13/poland-blames-starlink-sabotage-on-russia
- Vatican says Pope Leo’s lung nodule surgery was successfully completed
Source: New York Post
“Pope Leo XIV underwent surgery Tuesday to remove a lung nodule and the Vatican said the operation was completed ‘successfully, on schedule and as planned.’ The 71-year-old Leo returned to his room after the surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, according to a statement from the Vatican spokesman, who promised further information at a later time. Leo had walked into Rome’s Gemelli hospital through the main entrance earlier in the day and waved to dozens of well-wishers who had gathered to greet him.” (10/13/26)
- Philippines: Prosecution drops three impeachment charges against Duterte
Source: South China Morning Post [Hong Kong]
“The Philippine Senate, sitting as an impeachment court, approved the prosecution’s withdrawal of most of the charges against Vice-President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, in a trial that could kill her hopes to run for president in 2028. Prosecutors have been presenting evidence against Duterte since July on charges that she betrayed public trust, amassed unexplained wealth, violated the constitution and committed corruption, bribery and other high crimes. Lead prosecutor Gerville Luistro told the court on Tuesday that they sought to withdraw three of the four charges and leave the allegations of unexplained wealth as the sole remaining issue for senators to rule on. … Focusing on a single charge would substantially narrow the issues before the court, offering practical benefits for the Senate, the respondent and the public, Luistro said.” (10/13/26)
- Former gang boss sentenced to 40 years for orchestrating Tupac Shakur’s murder
Source: BBC News [UK state media]
“Former gang boss Duane ‘Keffe D’ Davis has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for orchestrating the murder of Tupac Shakur. A jury found Davis guilty in September of one count of murder with a deadly weapon for the rap superstar’s death in a drive-by shooting in Las Vegas on 7 September 1996. He has said he will appeal the verdict. The 63-year-old gang boss'[s] conviction was the first in a cold case that has intrigued hip-hop fans for nearly 30 years. Prosecutors argued that although Davis did not fire the gun himself, he was the ringleader of the group that committed the murder. He admitted in his memoir that he had provided the gun used in the crime. … the book and interviews he offered elaborating on his role in Shakur’s killing voided a protective agreement he had established with authorities that had blocked any criminal charges from being filed.” (10/13/26)
- Zelenskyy: Ukraine received “no intelligence from partners” about missiles headed to Kyiv
Source: SFGate
“Ukraine received no early warning from its partners about five Russian ballistic missiles that hit civilian infrastructure in the capital of Kyiv, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Tuesday, as tensions rise between the Ukrainian leader and U.S. President Donald Trump. Zelenskyy did not specify which partners he was talking about. He characterized the barrage as ‘particularly vile’ and emphasized that receiving intelligence from partners about such attacks ‘helps save lives’ and is ‘one of the most critical issues’. ‘This is precisely what helps prevent people from being killed — when there is an early warning about ballistic missiles,’ he wrote in a post on X. Trump said the U.S. has not stopped sharing intelligence with Ukraine. ‘We are helping them, and we are sharing intel’, Trump told reporters at the White House. ‘We want the war to end, so we’re working with them and with Russia on getting the war to end.'” (10/13/26)
- NASA’s Perseverance rover breaks record for off-world driving distance
Source: Engadget
“NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover just broke the record for the farthest distance traveled by any vehicle on another world, the space agency announced. The six-wheeled, nuclear-powered buggy has now traveled 28.10 miles (45.22 km) as of October 11th, besting NASA’s Opportunity rover that rolled 28.06 miles (45.16 km) across the red planet’s surface. Perseverance managed the feet in just five and a half years, compared to nearly 15 for the plucky Opportunity. … Thanks to a recent software update, Perseverance can now roll more and steer less to save wear on parts, while checking its own position against orbital maps in mid-drive. Next, the team wants to overcome camera glare issues from sunlight that impede its vision, so the rover can work longer days.” (10/13/26)
- Man used AI songs and 10,000 bots to collect $8 million in fraudulent music royalties, prosecutors say
Source: Fox News
“A North Carolina man was sentenced to 18 months in prison after prosecutors said he used AI, or super intelligence, to create music and thousands of bots to fraudulently collect more than $8 million in streaming royalties. Michael Smith, 54, of Cornelius, North Carolina, pleaded guilty in March to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and was sentenced Oct. 6, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York. … From 2017 to 2024, Smith created thousands of fake accounts on streaming platforms including Amazon Music, Apple Music, Spotify and YouTube Music, prosecutors said. He then used automated software to continuously stream songs he owned, many of which were generated using AI technology, allowing him to collect royalty payments for streams that did not come from real listeners.” (10/12/26)
- Why I (Kind Of) Support Livestreaming The Nidal Hasan Firing Squad
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp“With a public execution, the US regime will join an exclusive club currently comprised of Iran, Afghanistan, Yemen, Saudi Arabia, North Korea, and the Islamic State’s notional ‘caliphate.’ Those aren’t the only regimes with unlimited government. They’re just the only regimes that publicly flaunt their unlimited nature by killing disarmed, helpless prisoners in full view of the serfs they rule. I’m big on government transparency. Not on ‘good government’ grounds, but because transparency makes it easier for people to figure out that there’s no such thing as ‘good’ political government. … The US government killing Hasan is no different in principle than the Gambino crime family’s killing of Thomas DeSimone, sentenced to death for killing ‘made man’ William Bentvena (both killings are portrayed, using other names, in the film Goodfellas).” (10/13/26)
- Protectionism and “Sandwich Economics”
Source: Libertarian Institute
by Thomas Eddlem“The other day, my wife made me a sandwich, and I ate it. Who benefitted from this transaction? I enjoyed the good, but my wife did all the work. I like to think I benefitted from the transaction. It’s in the enjoyment of a good that’s the benefit of the good. The labor in creating the good is necessary, and often troublesome, but it’s not the benefit of the good. But President Donald Trump and defenders of economic protectionism who despise trade deficits think my wife cheated me because she had the privilege of doing all the work. Or, at least that’s the implication protectionists make in their public pronouncements on U.S. trade policy with the world. I now have a sandwich trade deficit with my wife, according to them.” (10/13/26)
https://libertarianinstitute.org/articles/protectionism-and-sandwich-economics
- Ayn Rand, American Horror Story
Source: Chris’s Substack
by Chris Matthew Sciabarra“Since having published my essay on how ‘The Russian Radical Eludes Ayn Rand’s Critics,’ I have been catching up on several shows. I am just getting to Season 13 of ‘American Horror Story: 13.’ … The writers of [episode 4] are Ned Martel and Charlie Carver. They are not just mocking criminality here; they are satirizing several polarizing, controversial women. Among ‘Mr. Nas’s favorite bad girls’—those ‘taken before they could reach their full potential’—are such luminaries as Eva Braun, Wallis Simpson, Brigitte Badot, Catherine the Great, Mamie Eisenhower, Elena Ceaușescu, Margaret Thatcher, and … you guessed it, Ayn Rand (portrayed by Mary Bacon). Mars describes her as a ‘selfish writer and welfare queen,’ before the ‘frightened’ Rand goes toppling into the fires of Hell.” (10/13/26)
https://chrismatthewsciabarra.substack.com/p/ayn-rand-american-horror-story
- The Only Way To Fight Government Corruption
Source: Ron Paul Liberty Report
by Ron Paul“While there is much noise on the Right about the danger of socialism – and it should not be discounted – what is not discussed enough is the ‘socialism’ for the rich and well-connected. One word for this is ‘corporatism.’ It is the merger – even if temporary – of state power with ‘private’ interests. Rich Greek businessmen are not lavishing gifts on Ambassador Guilfoyle because she is a nice person. They are looking for favors that only those holding the levers of political power can grant. … Corrupt officials abuse their positions because the government is so enormous and invasive that there are endless opportunities for graft and grift.” (10/13/26)
https://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/the-only-way-to-fight-government-corruption
- Flock is using trademark law to silence critics
Source: Expression
by Matthew Harwood“The latest example of Flock’s censorial methods occurred last month when it targeted Joshua Michael, a cybersecurity researcher who founded Nexanet, with a trademark complaint and a cease-and-desist letter. In November 2025, Michael discovered a vulnerability in Flock’s website that he says allowed him to retrieve extensive information about the company’s nationwide surveillance network without detection. After discovering the flaw, Michael reported it to Flock, telling the company the data was publicly available and could be found without any hacking. A few days later, after Michael followed up twice, Flock responded: ‘Thank you for the findings. We are internally triaging them and will reach back out with next steps soon.’ Michael never heard from Flock again until he made his findings known. On Sept. 23, Michael published the Flock Surveillance Map. … On Sept. 24, Doppel, Flock’s brand protection vendor, requested ‘the immediate removal’ of Michael’s ‘infringing site.'” (10/13/26)
https://expression.fire.org/p/flock-is-using-trademark-law-to-silence
- What Might Have Saved Gaza?
Source: American Greatness
by Victor Davis Hanson“Could the destruction of Gaza after October 7 have been avoided? The answer is yes – had Hamas so wished. First, if the Hamas leadership had simply complied with Israeli demands to (a) return the 251 hostages and (b) surrender the architects and perpetrators of the massacre of some 1,200 Israelis, the Israelis would not have had to fight Hamas in the streets and tunnels of Gaza. Note how critics of Israel consistently fail to offer any viable alternative to the Israeli ground effort to destroy the Hamas mass murderers. Nor do Israel’s enemies ever bother to explain why Hamas did not return its hostages and give up the perpetrators of October 7. Why did nobody expect the International Criminal Court or the UN to have the slightest effect when they ineffectually interceded to demand the return of the hostages and issued arrest warrants for the ‘war criminals’ of Hamas?” (10/13/26)
https://amgreatness.com/2026/10/13/what-might-have-saved-gaza/
- Trump’s Restrictions on Mail-In Voting Will Reduce the Republican Vote
Source: CounterPunch
by Nick Licata“President Donald Trump and his Republican Party have embraced the goal of lowering voter turnout to prevent Democrats from winning elections. History contradicts that claim. From 1980 to 2024, in the 12 presidential elections, more than 50% of the voting-eligible population (EVP) voted. Only four exceeded 60%, with wins split evenly between two Democrats and two Republicans. Among races with EVP turnout between 55% and 60%, Republicans won three and Democrats won two. In other words, getting more people to vote doesn’t guarantee the Democrats will win. Surprisingly, Republicans have done better! … Voters ages 65 and older were most likely to vote by mail. Mailed ballots accounted for almost 40% of votes cast by this group in 2024 and 44% in 2022. In 2020, exit polls showed that an overwhelming 56 percent of voters ages 50-64 voted for Trump, while 43 percent voted for Harris.” (10/13/26)
- Deirdre McCloskey Wants Old Liberalism Back: “Equality of Permission”
Source: The Daily Economy
“In ‘Equality of Permission,’ McCloskey returns to familiar ground: free markets, individual dignity, and the dangers of statism. What makes it distinctive is the force and flair of her argument.” (10/13/26)
- Trump’s right to push a Ukraine-Russia energy cease-fire, but it must be real
Source: New York Post
by staff“President Donald Trump’s announcement Sunday that Ukraine and Russia reached an ‘energy cease-fire’ clearly jumped the gun, but he’s absolutely right to be pushing hard for such a deal. That is, as long as the accord halts attacks on all energy facilities. ‘Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,’ the prez boasted on Truth Social, but there wasn’t. A cease-fire is ‘news to me’, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky quipped. Russia’s Vladimir Putin issued his denial in the form of fresh strikes on Ukrainian energy sites. It’s possible Trump was misled by Moscow saying it’d be fine with a ban on striking refineries, since that would shield Putin’s assets while leaving him free to continue attacks meant to leave much of Ukraine’s civilian population freezing this winter.” (10/13/26)
- Why Pete Hegseth and Christa Pike Prove We Must End the Death Penalty
Source: Karl Dickey’s Freedom Vanguard
by Karl Dickey“Utilizing state power to execute those who have killed others with a 3.15% failure rate should cause Americans to pause and take a step back to consider what is happening here. Yes, we want blood for those who have wrongly taken innocent lives, but is this how we want to be known? Government fails at most of the services it attempts, wasting our tax money in the process via mismanaged programs and bungled operations. You would think Americans have seen so much incompetence from government that they would seek their services as a last resort, but all too often we have handed over the simplest of jobs to government only to watch them muck it up. No rational person would give a failing monopoly like the government the legal power to end a life.” (10/13/26)
https://palmbeachexaminer.substack.com/p/why-pete-hegseth-and-christa-pike
- Two troubled Senate races could spoil Democrats’ blue-wave fantasy
Source: Fox News
by Liz Peek“The midterm elections are three weeks away. In some states, voting has already begun. Betting site Kalshi shows odds of 61% that Democrats will win control of the Senate. Recent developments in the Texas and Michigan races suggest keeping your money in your pocket. As voters find out more about front-runner Democrats James Talarico in Texas and Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, the polls are tightening. They say intimacy breeds contempt; nowhere is this truer than in politics. … Talarico, a photogenic 37-year-old state representative, recently vanished from public view for nearly two weeks, an extraordinary absence so close to Election Day. He says he had the flu; does he not know about Theraflu? Has he heard of Zoom?” [editor’s note: I doubt that the campaign to create an “October Surprise” in Texas out of thin air will work; it’s too obviously a desperation play – TLK] (10/13/26)
- Going, Going … Gone?
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Mark Nayler“Between now and November 29, there will be widespread speculation about whether the ‘Houdini’ of Spanish politics, as Sánchez is sometimes called, can extricate himself from another tight spot; and there will be hand-wringing editorials in the center-left press about the potential demise of Europe’s only ‘progressive’ leader and the deterioration of European democracy. All of which misses the point—because Sánchez himself has done a lot to damage Spain’s democracy. The key question posed by the snap election is ‘Why didn’t Sánchez call one sooner?’ Or, to put it the other way around: ‘Why is he still in power?'” (10/13/26)
- UN and The Hague Confront Impunity for War Crimes
Source: Common Dreams
by Nicolas JS Davies“On October 9th, the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize Was awarded to Navi Pillay, the South African international lawyer who defended Nelson Mandela and the anti-apartheid political prisoners on Robben Island, and went on to serve as a judge on the UN International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Criminal Court (ICC), then as UN High Commissioner for Human Rights. In 2025, Navi Pillay led the UN Commission of Inquiry that confirmed that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza. With the world in the grip of seemingly intractable war and chaos, the Nobel Committee clearly wanted to honor someone who has worked against the tide of militarism and violence to uphold international law. And yet, on the same day, the United States unveiled unilateral, illegal coercive measures or “sanctions” against the ICC, where Navi Pillay served as a judge from 2003 to 2008.” (10/13/26)
https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/un-and-the-hague-confront-impunity-for-war-crimes
- The seven stages of American decline
Source: Asia Times
“For a time, the West comfortably regarded China as the world’s workshop, a place that made cheap goods and left the clever work to others. By the 2020s, that picture was untenable. Chinese companies led in electric vehicles, batteries, green energy, and 5G, and competed hard in artificial intelligence and semiconductors. Policymakers in Washington and Brussels were stunned. Like a bereaved person who functions normally on the surface while feeling nothing underneath, the West was slow to grasp that its monopoly had gone. Shock tends to give way to denial, and the Western response followed the pattern. … Reconstruction occurs when one ceases to wonder why this had to happen and wonders instead what could still be done. The crucial realization is that while one cannot change the situation, one can determine how one reacts to it.” (10/13/26)
https://asiatimes.com/2026/10/the-seven-stages-of-american-decline/
- Natural Law Principles in the Conservative Tradition
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Wanjiru Njoya“Texas Republicans recently became embroiled in a dispute between two factions that we could call, for purposes of exposition, the ‘Heritage Texans’ and the ‘Creedal Texans.’ Heritage Republicans believe that a nation is constituted by a specific and identifiable people who are historically rooted in a place over time, while Creedal Republicans believe in a concept they call ‘the idea of Texas.’ Their idea of Texas involves hard work, love of football, and the savoir-faire to say, ‘Hook ‘em Horns.’ To the Creedals, anyone from anywhere in the world who embraces this idea is as much a Texan as anyone whose ancestors rode with the Texas cavalry in 1861. Which of these factions represents true conservatism? What is real conservatism, anyway, in a situation where different sides of an allegedly conservative party are unable to agree on such a fundamental issue?” (10/13/26)
https://mises.org/mises-wire/natural-law-principles-conservative-tradition
- How JFK Helped Pave the Way for Trump’s Crackdown on Dissent
Source: Foreign Policy
by Julia Harte“The Justice Department once prosecuted a U.S. journalist for coming home without a passport after a reporting trip to Cuba. He was charged with violating an obscure requirement in the Immigration and Nationality Act. As the journalist pointed out, dozens of white Americans had reentered the United States without passports for various reasons since the law’s enactment, but only he—a Black reporter with a penchant for muckraking—had been punished for doing so. This happened in 1962, under President John F. Kennedy, and the target was William Worthy, one of the nation’s most distinguished international correspondents. … Today, Worthy is unknown to most Americans. But 64 years after the court case that briefly made him a household name, his legacy is more relevant than ever. His story shows how precedent set by Kennedy helped pave the way for future administrations, including Donald Trump’s, to suppress speech and foreign influences that challenge U.S. geopolitical interests.” (10/13/26)
- Dean of Students Warns that Saying “In Christ Alone” Constitutes “White Privilege”
Source: Jonathan Turley
by Jonathan Turley“My recent USA Today column discusses how the Democrats have suddenly discovered God in elections after recruiting various far-left ministers to run on faith-based anti-Trump messages. I discussed how Divinity Schools have shown the same trend as other departments in higher education with a radical shift to the left. That was evident in a controversy this week at Point Loma Nazarene University, where Dean of Students Jason Cha told student leaders that identifying as being ‘in Christ alone’ is a sign of ‘white privilege’. Dean Cha is an example of the resumes that draw appointments and presentations in higher education. According to The College Fix, Cha’s 2023 dissertation at Azusa Pacific University was titled ‘Raging Waters of Whiteness: Addressing White Evangelical Racism in Higher Education’. His scholarship draws on critical pedagogy, incorporating ‘critical race theory, critical white studies, and evangelical postcolonial studies’.” (10/13/26)
- What Does “History and Tradition” Require?
Source: Law & Liberty
by Mark David Hall“Some advocates of the strict separation between church and state have suggested that for a practice to be constitutional, there must be a long history and tradition of states engaging in that specific act. For instance, in several of the recent cases involving posting copies of the Ten Commandments in public schools, a few advocates and judges thought it significant that the states could not demonstrate that there is a long and unbroken tradition of posting the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms. A chief problem with this argument is that the Supreme Court has never said that there must be longstanding and widespread history of governments engaging in specific practices in order for them to be permissible.” (10/13/26)
https://lawliberty.org/what-does-history-and-tradition-require/
- The Shot and the Lie
Source: Brownstone Institute
by Jeffrey A Tucker“Sure, I’m frustrated. After years of litigation, deep audits, and some extreme dedication by the vaccine-injured, we now are in possession of a 1,048-page book that details ghastly and widespread injury from shots people were forced to get. Many died. Many have lifelong suffering. Many have seen their lives, finances, and families shattered. These are not statistics on a preprint server awaiting the arduous process of slogging through anonymous peer-reviewers. This is not another model that conjures up possible scenarios. This is not some dry dashboard with probabilities and possibilities. These are the life stories of real people as reported to the CDC through its own vaccine-safety monitoring system called V-safe.” (10/13/26)
- “Major wipeout” of 2006 proportions could force a new GOP reckoning
Source: Responsible Statecraft
by W James Antle III“Republicans could be looking at a major wipeout in the midterm elections. Their tiny House majority was always going to be difficult to maintain, but the Senate should not be in play at all. Yet it surely is, with Democrats leading in nearly all the toss-up races, including in the reddest states, and competitive in at least a dozen of the contests that will determine which party controls the upper chamber. The Iran war is a big reason this has come to pass. … there is a potential for a midterm election more like 2006. Twenty years ago, as Cook Political Report’s Amy Walter pointed out earlier this year, we had an unpopular president waging an unpopular war while Republican congressional incumbents were beset by assorted scandals.” (10/13/26)
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/republicans-lose-midterms-war/
- When The Gates Of Tech Dystopia Snap Shut
Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone“There’s a viral video clip showing a group of wild boars getting caught in a corral trap. When the gate snaps shut the poor animals run around in a panic, searching in vain for an exit. According to the caption that’s been going around, the trapper waited patiently for five days for the entire sounder to get comfortable enough to take the bait and enter the trap all at once. The gate didn’t close until the final pig walked into the enclosure. And, yeah. That’s pretty much where we’re at right now. We’ve been standing around munching on our bait, enjoying our bread and our circuses, blissfully unaware of the trapper who is patiently waiting for the perfect moment to slam the gate shut on us all: ‘Man, AI sure is great.'” (10/13/26)
https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2026/10/13/when-the-gates-of-tech-dystopia-snap-shut/
- Public execution? This really is who we are
Source: Los Angeles Times
by Jon Duffy“After [US defense secretary Pete] Hegseth announced plans to livestream [Nidal] Hasan’s Dec. 3 execution by firing squad, retired Admiral James Stavridis, a former NATO supreme allied commander, condemned the spectacle. ‘It is not who we are as a military or a nation,’ he said. Stavridis is right about who we should be. The moral character of the condemned does not determine the moral obligations of the state. Executing a paralyzed prisoner before a public audience demonstrates nothing about American strength. It transforms state violence into grotesque entertainment. But I fear the admiral is wrong about who we are.” (10/13/26)
- Emotions versus Reason in Economics
Source: Cobden Centre
by Dr. Frank Shostak“Contrary to the mainstream framework, Murray N. Rothbard held that valuations do not exist apart of the things to be valued. Whenever an individual is confronted with a good, he assesses it in accordance with it expected benefits to his life and well-being. These benefits are likely to vary given changes in individual’s circumstances. From this, it follows that an unchanged scale of preferences does not comply with the reality. Obviously, human beings do change their minds, so it is not surprising that the [behavioral economics] practitioners have ‘discovered’ that human beings’ behavior systematically deviates from the one depicted by the mainstream economics. … Since in the BE framework reason is not the key driver of individuals’ choices; individuals’ evaluations of goods are arbitrary i.e. not connected to the facts of reality.” (10/13/26)
https://www.cobdencentre.org/2026/10/emotions-versus-reason-in-economics-2/
- Elon Musk Shows Us Why Oligarchy is a Danger
Source: Paul Krugman
by Paul Krugman“The Forbes 400 may only own 4 percent of U.S. wealth; but the New York Times found that 300 billionaires accounted for 19 percent of all reported federal campaign contributions in the 2024 election. And these are only reported, cash donations. Include other forms of influence — exemplified by Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter and his conversion of the former public square into a site that elevates extreme right-wing propaganda — and it’s obvious that the malign political influence of a handful of the ultra-rich is much bigger than even those stunningly large donations suggest. Now the Times reports that Musk is giving even more money in an attempt to help Republicans stave off midterm disaster than he gave in 2024 …” (10/13/26)
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/elon-musk-shows-us-why-oligarchy
- Former Spymasters, a Taped Mouth, and the Market in Cross-Border Snatching
Source: Antiwar.com
by Thomas S Karat“Just after midnight on New Year’s Day 2024, a man and his two children stood near the harbor in the Danish town of Gråsten, watching fireworks over the water a short walk from the house where the children had been living. … masked men rushed the family and knocked the father, then forty-nine, to the ground. The same witness described one child being loaded into a car while the other fought back, held by two men who carried it by the limbs. … They were carried more than eight hundred kilometers south to a farm in Baden-Württemberg and held in a mobile home until their mother arrived to collect them …. The men she is accused of hiring were not ordinary criminals. The prosecution’s case and the testimony of the operatives themselves describe an operation brokered by the former head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service and carried out by veterans of Israel’s.” (10/13/26)
- Australia’s Tobacco Taxes Have Sparked a Criminal Turf War
Source: The Daily Economy
by Jeffrey L Degner“Australia tried to end smoking with punitive taxes. Instead, it created a lucrative trade for smugglers and a wave of violent attacks on retailers.” (10/13/26)
https://thedailyeconomy.org/article/australias-tobacco-taxes-have-sparked-a-criminal-turf-war/
- Why British liberals need the Russian bogeyman
Source: UnHerd
by Thomas Fazi“Since the 2016 Russiagate fiasco, it has become standard practice among Western elites, especially in Europe, to blame every unwelcome election result — and above all every ‘populist’ rebuke to their rule — on Russian ‘disinformation’ and ‘interference’. The campaign has escalated dramatically since 2022. We are told that Russia has for years been running a vast influence operation aimed at manipulating helpless voters. Yet the evidence that this operation has reached, let alone swayed, any meaningful number of them is scant to say the least.” (10/12/26)
- Where in the World Was James Talarico?
Source: Town Hall
by Derek Hunter“The bowl-cut leftist in Texas, James Talarico, came off the milk carton and returned to the world of the living over the weekend. Where he was remains a mystery, as does why he was gone. What isn’t a mystery is why the corporate media didn’t really cover the story much or question anything related to a candidate in the highest-profile Senate election in the country disappearing for almost two weeks. The ‘official story’ is that Talarico, a very odd person to begin with, simply had the flu. I’ve had the flu, and it’s not fun. It also doesn’t put people in bed for two weeks and rob you of the ability to make any public appearances, if only via video chat. … Was he at a mental health facility for inpatient treatment after a breakdown?” [editor’s note: Obviously not, or he and Hunter would likely have been roomies – TLK] (10/13/26)
- Private Prosecutors
Source: Law & Liberty
by Cory L Andrews“Civil society, for Locke, begins with a surrender. In the state of nature, anyone may punish a wrong done to the community. In society, that power passes to a common authority, and only the sovereign may avenge public wrongs. Blackstone put the same idea in the language of the common law: private wrongs are the injured party’s to redress, public wrongs are the Crown’s. The Framers absorbed the distinction and gave it a specific constitutional home: ‘The executive Power,’ Article II begins, ‘shall be vested in a President.’ One pocket of private prosecution, however, survives that settlement. … Under the False Claims Act’s qui tam provisions, a private plaintiff or ‘relator’—with no injury of her own, no office, and no constitutional oath—may sue in the name of the United States, litigate the government’s claim, and keep up to 30 percent of what she recovers.” (10/13/26)
- Wealth Taxes, Socialist Ideology, and Absent Economics
Source: Independent Institute
by Nikolai G Wenzel“In these times of runaway public debt and perennial crisis in public finances, the wealth tax is a bad idea that just won’t go away. Just a year ago, the prudent Swiss rejected a steep inheritance tax. France—thanks to political machinations in a hung Parliament, rather than deep conviction or prudence—rejected the resuscitation of its failed wealth taxes (1982-1987 and 1989-2012). The UK floated a similar proposal, which went nowhere. Since 2022, Spain has had a ‘temporary solidarity tax on big fortunes’. Alas, this isn’t just a European game. … Perhaps the main problem is that bad policy proposals are being driven by bad economics, with the imprimatur of high-profile scholars.” (10/12/260
- The Senate’s Surprisingly Populist Permitting Reform Deal
Source: Washington Monthly
by Kainoa Lowman“In September, after months of negotiations and to much fanfare, a bipartisan group of senators introduced a major package of energy reforms. The Bipartisan American Affordability and Jobs Act (BAAJA) has been enthusiastically championed by luminaries of the ‘Abundance’ movement, since parts of the bill would ease regulatory bottlenecks that hinder new energy projects. Economic populists on the left have not embraced the bill in the same way, though they should. BAAJA would take meaningful steps to prevent unpopular corporate interests—namely, utility companies—from hindering the transition to cheaper, cleaner energy sources.” (10/13/26)
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/10/13/the-senates-surprisingly-populist-permitting-reform-deal/
- Eric Ueland Shouldn’t Lead the Government Accountability Office
Source: Exiled Policy
by Jason Pye“Congress shouldn’t need a lecture on why putting Russ Vought’s deputy in charge of its watchdog is a terrible idea. Well, here we are. The White House is considering Eric Ueland as comptroller general, head of the Government Accountability Office (GAO). Ueland serves as deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, under Vought. The administration whose conduct GAO has repeatedly found unlawful now wants one of its senior officials to run the institution that scrutinizes that conduct. This is a terrible idea.” (10/12/260
https://exiledpolicy.substack.com/p/eric-ueland-shouldnt-lead-the-government
- A Nobel for New Keynesian macro, at last!
Source: Noahpinion
by Noah Smith“First, let me say that this prize is long overdue. In 2009, I asked my PhD advisor, Miles Kimball, who was the greatest living macroeconomist. Without hesitation, he answered ‘Bob Hall’, and said he would be very surprised if Hall didn’t win the Nobel at some point. Hall’s work is breathtakingly broad; if you want good summaries, I recommend Alex Tabarrok and Tyler Cowen (as usual). As for Michael Woodford, everyone I know assumed that if New Keynesian macro ever did get the prize, Woodford would be included, as he literally wrote the book on it. But anyway, let’s talk about New Keynesian economics — what it is, how it came about, why it’s important, and why it didn’t get a Nobel until now.” (10/13/26)
https://www.noahpinion.blog/p/a-nobel-for-new-keynesian-macro-at
- Make Big Brother Bad for Big Business
Source: The Atlantic
by Conor Friedersdorf“[M]ost of Flock’s network and its competitors’ cameras remain in place. And fans of the technology want to keep it that way; they argue that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy on roads, and that a network of cameras that logs every passing vehicle is a vital tool for catching criminals. Most surveillance boosters don’t deny that serious abuses have happened or wholly dismiss privacy concerns. Instead, they urge the use of safeguards and the passage of regulations to address them. But this technology is already ubiquitous. States and localities should not permit its dangers to persist in the hope that one day, our often passive legislators will act. Instead, Americans should work to ban mass surveillance of public roads in every jurisdiction where they can secure support from elected officials until strong protections are in place.” (10/12/26)
- Time to De-Privatize?
Source: The American Prospect
by Robert Kuttner“Last week, I published a piece on a private company called ID.me, which has over a billion dollars in contracts with federal and state agencies to provide secure identification when citizens do digital transactions with government agencies. Because this company is a dot-me rather than a dot-com, several readers wrote me to say that they had just assumed it was part of the government. Over 150 million Americans now have ID.me accounts, which are required to access several government agencies. ID.me has a policy of never selling data. But that’s not the problem. The problem is that allowing citizens to access government agencies is a necessary government function. As I wrote, contracting out that function deprives the government of core competence, and the dependence on for-profit vendors grows over time.” [editor’s not4e: I added the “?” to make this a discussion, instead of the assertion of the socialist pundit – SAT] (10/13/26)
https://prospect.org/2026/10/13/time-to-de-privatize-federal-government/
- Cato Weekly Podcast, 10/13/26
Source: Cato Institute
“How Bad Policy Delays Adulthood.” (10/13/26)
https://www.cato.org/multimedia/cato-weekly-podcast/how-bad-policy-delays-adulthood
- Ron Paul Weekly Report, 10/13/26
Source: Ron Paul
“The Only Way To Fight Government Corruption.” (10/13/26)
- Trump Watch, 10/13/26
Source: Future of Freedom Foundation
“Deadly Blowback Is Another Price of Foreign Interventionism.” (10/13/26)
- Rising, 10/13/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on leftist Twitch streamer Hasan Piker getting grilled for his views in an interview with comedian Ziwe Fumudoh.” (10/13/26)
- Pod Save America, episode 1225
Source: Crooked Media
“One Flu Over the Cuckoo’s Nest.” (10/13/26)
https://audioboom.com/posts/8963609-one-flu-over-the-cuckoo-s-nest
- The Good Fight, 10/13/26
Source: Yascha Mounk
“David Deming on the Future of Universities in the Age of AI.” (10/13/26)
- Capital Record, episode 328
Source: National Review
“The Crisis of Responsibility on the Right.” (10/13/26)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/the-crisis-of-responsibility-on-the-right/
- Show-Me Institute Podcast, 10/13/26
Source: Show-Me Institute
“A Vision for the Future of American Education with James V. Shuls and Jason Bedrick.” (10/13/26)
- The Daily Blast With Greg Sargent, 10/13/26
Source: The New Republic
“MAGA Voters Turn on Trump in Focus Group Bombshell: ‘Nothing but Lies.'” (10/13/26)
https://newrepublic.com/article/216508/maga-voters-turn-trump-focus-group-bombshell-nothing-lies
- Questions For Corbett, 10/13/26
Source: The Corbett Report
“James answers your questions on Japanese residence cards, online research tips, a digital bill of rights, trash reading and what happened to NWNW.” (10/13/26)
https://corbettreport.com/a-digital-bill-of-rights-questions-for-corbett/
- Advisory Opinions, 10/13/26
Source: The Dispatch
“Is Spending Money Protected Speech?” (10/13/26)
https://thedispatch.com/podcast/advisoryopinions/is-spending-money-protected-speech/
- The Bryan Hyde Show, 10/13/26
Source: The Bryan Hyde Show
“As the midterm elections get closer, the application of labels becomes ever more frenzied. Barry Brownstein has a timely reminder that the clearest distinction we must make is between collectivism and the individual.” (10/13/26)
- Psycho Politics with George Conway, 10/12/26
Source: The Bulwark
“In the premiere episode of Psycho Politics, George Conway welcomes Jim Acosta to discuss Trump’s increasingly bizarre ramblings, his conspiracy-minded White House, and the media’s reluctance to confront his behavior. Plus, what happens if Trump loses the midterms, and just how dangerous could his reaction be?” (10/12/26)
- Pink Flame of Liberty, 10/12/26
Source: Pink Flame of Liberty
“Keith Thompson’s Honeypot LIKE A BOSS.” (10/12/26)
- Finding Freedom, 10/12/26
Source: Lions of Liberty
“Why Some Rise Above Their Circumstances While Others Fall to Them.” (10/12/26)
- Reason Roundtable, 10/12/26
Source: Reason
“J.D. Vance Is Playing Dumb About Socialism.” (10/12/26)
https://reason.com/podcast/2026/10/12/j-d-vance-is-playing-dumb-about-socialism/
- The Kyle Anzalone Show, 10/12/26
Source: Libertarian Institute
“Will Trump Sacrifice the Midterms So Netanyahu Can Win Reelection?” (10/12/26)
- Antiwar News with Dave DeCamp, 10/12/26
Source: Antiwar.com
“US Citizens Detained in Saudi Arabia Over Attack Photos, IRGC Strikes More Ships in Hormuz, and More.” (10/12/26)
- The lost politics of Ammon Bundy
Source: Reason
“Once a leading figure in the anti-government militia movement, Ammon Bundy is now speaking out against President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, arguing that the same federal overreach he spent years fighting is now being directed at immigrants.” (10/12/26)
https://reason.com/video/2026/10/12/the-anti-government-rebel-who-turned-against-maga/
- Rising, 10/12/26
Source: The Hill
“Robby Soave gives his radar on U.S. Ambassador to Greece Kimberly Guilfoyle reportedly asking a Trump donor to send $100,000 for her credit card bill.” (10/12/26)